Pune, July 11, 2023: In yet another nation’s firsts to its credit, Praj Industries organized World
Bioproduct Day celebrations on Friday, 7th July 2023. A special webinar, emphasizing
importance of bioproducts in thriving bioeconomy, was organized to create better awareness in
the society. Eminent personalities from Industry and Academia namely Dr. Pramod Chaudhari
(Founder Chairman- Praj Industries), Prof. Aniruddha Pandit (Director- ICT, Mumbai) Prof. Sunil
Bhagwat (Director- IISER, Pune), and Dr. Prashant Dhakephalkar (Director- Agharkar Research
Institute), shared their perspectives during the webinar.
Praj under leadership of Department of Biotechnology, GoI, took this initiative. Bioproducts
have potential to play an important role in conservation of environment through carbon
recycling. Bioproducts are based on the concept of circular economy and promote the idea of
Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Replenish, Recycle.
World Bioproduct Day is celebrated with the objective of raising awareness about importance
of bioproducts, promoting-facilitating & enabling bio-based responsible innovations and
replacing or superseding non-renewable based industries, products, and services.
Speaking about this initiative, Dr. Pramod Chaudhari, Founder Chairman of Praj said, “We are
delighted to introduce World Bioproduct Day in India. As a part of India’s initiatives towards
Sustainable Climate Action, it is important to find sustainable ways for reducing carbon
intensity. At Praj we are focused on introducing innovative technologies for production
renewable chemicals and materials such as bioplastic, bio bitumen etc. With such an Industry-
Academia-Research interactions, it makes me confident that bioproducts are the next frontier
of the Bioeconomy. All these efforts will help mainstreaming Bioeconomy, enable Green
Growth & promote Biomanufacturing in India.”
Prof. Aniruddha Pandit, Director of ICT, Mumbai said, “We welcome this initiative by Praj. We
are collaborating with them to develop wide range of industry applications for biopolymers at
first of its kind Center Of Excellence & Innovation at ICT Mumbai. A range of modern day
consumer chemicals and other products, could have a biological origin, requesting mankind to
turn to nature for possible solutions which can sustainably address the current environmental
issues. We believe this is a significant step that will accelerate large scale adaptation of
bioproducts in the industry and society.”
Prof. Sunil Bhagwat, Director IISER said, “I am delighted to participate in today’s webinar. This
topic is particularly pertinent in the context of sustainability. History tells us that solutions
devised at one point in time might turn into problems at a later date. Here is where innovative
remedies become essential. Investing in research in energy and materials is important for us to
be future-ready.”
Dr. Prashant Dhakephalkar (Director- Agharkar Research Institute) said, “Let’s celebrate the
incredible potential of microorganisms in shaping a sustainable future. From renewable energy
to biodegradable materials, these tiny organisms hold the key to unlocking innovative
bioproducts that benefit humans and the environment. Let’s harness their power and pave the
way for a greener, cleaner, and more prosperous world.”
Bioeconomy is recognized as one of the most promising pathways as sustainable climate action.
While biofuels are already established as a highly effective solution for decarbonization,
bioproducts are emerging as sustainable solution for carbon recycling.
